Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly EuroBiotech Report. We start this week with President Trump. Staff at medical journal The BMJ became the latest to express concern about Trump’s effect on global drug regulation and research when they published an editorial about his administration. Nordic Nanovector CEO Luigi Costa talked up the level of third-party interest in experimental non-Hodgkin lymphoma candidate Betalutin. Apitope posted phase 2a data on the multiple sclerosis drug Merck KGaA walked away from last year, teeing it up to move into phase 2b. TiGenix and Takeda presented 52-week data on their stem cell therapy. And more. Nick Taylor
1. BMJ warns of global impact of Trump on R&D, regulation
Editors at The BMJ have warned President Trump’s policies could damage biomedical research and regulation around the world. The journal has committed to fostering open debate and supporting those who “speak truth to power” to counter the actions of an administration it sees as heading for a “head-on collision with the scientific and health communities.”
2. Cancer player Nordic Nanovector stokes takeover talk
Nordic Nanovector CEO Luigi Costa has talked up the level of third-party interest in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) candidate Betalutin. Costa claimed the level of interest in the asset is growing as clinical data accumulates, triggering a double-digit jump in Nanovector’s stock price.
3. After Merck KGaA rejection, Apitope advances MS drug
Apitope has posted phase 2a data on the multiple sclerosis drug Merck KGaA walked away from last year. The single-arm study linked immunotolerizing peptide-based candidate ATX-MS-1467 to a drop in total and new neurological lesions, giving Apitope the confidence to forge ahead with plans to run a phase 2b trial.
4. Takeda, TiGenix stem cell therapy shows sustained effect
Takeda and TiGenix have presented 52-week data on their allogeneic expanded adipose-derived stem cells in Crohn’s disease patients with treatment-refractory complex perianal fistulas. The data show the Cx601 stem cells continue to outperform placebo one year after administration.